Package



Dec.29,1964 H. P. LAFFKAS Em 9,163,289

PACKAGE Filed Sept. l0, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l .U14-I IY.'

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THE/R ATTORNEY De 29, 1964 H. P. LAFFKAS E'rAL 3,163,289

PACKAGE Filed Sept. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harry P. Laffkas Thomas H.Ward THE/R ATTRNE Y United States Patent O 3,163,289 PACKAGE Harry P.Laitkas, Addison, and Thomas H. Ward, Corning, NX., assignors to(Joining lass Works, Coming, Nfl, a corporation of New York Filed Sept.lll, i962, Ser. No. 222,269 3 Claims. {CL 2da- 65) This inventionrelates to a two-part package useful for containing a plurality ofarticles.

it is an object of the invention to provide a package which can be usedwithout alteration to hold tightly articles of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a package comprising two identical,interchangeable parts.

Another object is to provide a package capable of cushioning frangiblearticles contained therein against mechanical shock.

These and other objects, which will be apparent from the description,are accomplished by the provision of a package comprising two identicalparts, each part defining a cavity and having a sidewall provided with aange contiguous with a surface of the sidewall and havingarticle-holding means within each cavity.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FG. 1 is a plan view looking into the cavity of one of the identicalparts or the package,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line ll-li of FIG. l,

FIG. 3 is a sectiond view taken on line III-lll of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view oi the two parts of the package prior toclosing the package,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an assembled package having glass testtubes packed therein, and

FIG. 7 isa sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to that ofFIG. 6 and showing test tubes packed r with their axes perpendicular tothose shown in FlG. 6. As illustrated in the drawing, the package of thepresent invention comprises two identical parts il? formed of foamedpolystyrene plastic. Each part has, within its cavity dened by sidewalll1 and bottom 17, two pairs of article-suppoiting ribs. Ribs 1.3 of onepair are respectively perpendicular to ribs i4 of the other pair. Ribs13 and i4 are provided respectively with arcuate depressions 1S and 16for rigidly holding test tubes T-l or T-Z, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Each part lil is provided with flange 12, which telescopes into theother part when the two parts are assembled to form a package, as shownin FlGS. 5 and 6. Flanges 12 extend around half of sidewalls 1l, andthus a complete enclosure is formed for articles within the package evenwhen the package is only partially closed. Depressions and 1.6 havediiering diameters to acili tate holding articles of differing sizes,only one set of depressions being used at any one time. In addition,articles having diameters larger than either tubes T-ll or tubes T-Z ofFIGS. 6 and 7 can be packaged, and although the sidewalls of therespective parts will not meet, the articles will nevertheless beenclosed by the llanges. In such cases, although the curvatures of thedepressions will not conform precisely to those of lthe packagedarticles, the articles will nevertheless be heldimmovable. It will beapparent that the illustrated package may be modified while retainingthe advantages thereof.L Ribs 13 and 14 and depressions 15 and i6 may bemodiiied or replaced by other structures conforming to the shapes ofother .articles to be packaged-'or may be absent altoice gether. Flanges12 need not be formed on the inner surfaces of sidewalls 11 but may beadjacent to the outer surfaces thereof. In addition, they need notextend along precisely half of the sidewalls as in the illustratedembodirnent, nor need each part have a single continuous ange. The partswill be interchangeable and will telescope with one another if eachsidewall mating edge, such as edge i8 of FiG. 2, is symmetric about aline passing through that mating edge and if at the same time all iiangeportions of each respective part are arranged about and parallel to asingle straight axis and no two ange portions of either part arecontiguous to any two mating edge points which are located symmetricallywith respect to said line. Y ln the illustrated embodiment, the saidline of symmetry of mating edge 18 is line A-A of FIG. 1, and the saidasis is line B-B of FIG. 5, which is perpendicular to base 17. Althoughthe most convenient form of flange is that illustrated in the drawing,other forms, either continuous or discontinuous, which satisfy the aboveconditions will accomplish the objects of the invention. Mating edges 18need not each lie in a plane as in the illustrated embodiment as long asthe above condition of symmetry is satisfied.

The illustrated package has been constructed of foamed polystyreneplastic, since this material is light and easily molded and cushionsfrangible articles against mechanical shock. it will be understood thatthe package may be constructed of other foamed plastics or of anyconventional packaging material and that the respective parts of thepackage may be assembled from components rather than molded as singlestructures. The parts need not be shaped as illustrated but may have anyshape dictated by the shapes of the articles tobe packed.

Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention be limited Vnotby the description given above las that of a single embodiment of theinvention, but rather only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package comprising two identical telescoping parts, each of saidparts comprising a bottom and aside wall, each of said'side wallsterminating in substantially identical mating edges,'each said matingedge being symmetric about a line passing through said edge, each ofsaid side walls having a flange contiguous thereto and eX- tendingoutwardly away from said bottom, said ange of each said part telescopingwith said side wall of the other said pant, and within each said parttwo sets of ribs, each of said sets comprising at least two parallelribs having article-supporting depressions therein, lthe ribs of one setbeing respectively perpendicular to the ribs of the other set, saiddepressions of each set of ribs being substrantially identical to theremaining depressions of the same set but different from those of theother set.

2. A package according to claim 1 in which Vsaid ilanges are contiguousto the inner surfaces of said side,

walls.

3. A package according to claim 2 in which each said ange is conined toone side of said line of symmetry.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNrrnD sTA'rns PATENTS2,564,729

Starzec Aug. 7.,

1. A PACKAGE COMPRISING TWO IDENTICAL TELESCOPING PARTS, EACH OF SAIDPARTS COMPRISING A BOTTOM AND A SIDE WALL, EACH OF SAID SIDE WALLSTERMINATING IN SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL MATING EDGES, EACH SAID MATINGEDGE BEING SYMMETRIC ABOUT A LINE PASSING THROUGH SAID EDGE, EACH OFSAID SIDE WALLS HAVING A FLANGE CONTIGUOUS THERETO AND EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID BOTTOM, SAID FLANGE OF EACH SAID PARTTELESCOPING WITH SAID SIDE WALL OF THE OTHER SAID PART, AND WITHIN EACHSAID PART TWO SETS OF RIBS, EACH OF SAID SETS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWOPARALLEL RIBS HAVING ARTICLE-SUPPORTING DEPRESSIONS THEREIN, THE RIBS OFONE